Thy Rod & Thy Staff
Nondenominational Church
A place to serve, not sit.
What We Do
Church Purpose
Our purpose at our Bible base church is to get people to be like Christ and turn from that which is contrary to Him. We would like very much to lead others to make Christ the foundation of their lives. We would like to show Jesus as a faithful friend, a loyal companion, as someone who will stand by our side when no one else will.
As a body of Bible based Christian believers, we see our whole purpose as doing the will of God so that His Spirit might be manifested in our midst. With His hand we hope to convince others that Christ is our Lord and Savior. We want to show that if we trust in Him, He will very clearly show us that He is who He claims to be.– a Provider who can supply whatever we need whenever we need it under any and all circumstances, a Physician with no limitations in His healing power, a Counselor with infinite understanding and wisdom. We would very much like to reflect Christ in our midst as the Good Shepherd (Psalms 23 and John 10:1:18), as the one and only way to God, our Father in heaven.
Consequently, our Bible based churches goal is to get others to see the love of God and act accordingly. Undoubtedly God wants us to do His will but He wants it to be done out of love. God wants us to serve Him not because we have too but because we want too. God wants us to serve Him because we see Him as He is. He wants us to do His will because we see that doing His will is for out good. This is the purpose of our church and the platform on which it stands. We want to weld together a body of believers who love Jesus Christ so much that they want to be just like Him.
What Jesus Did
‘Divine Partnership’ – Matthew 2:19-23
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Key Thought
In this passage, we see Joseph caught in a wonderful and mysterious dance with God. God revealed his protective guidance in dreams, through angels, and in visions. Joseph, however, still had to discern the meaning of God’s help and had to choose to obey his direction. So often we want everything spelled out, “just like they did in the Bible.” We forget that Joseph and Mary were living a mystery that was too big to wrap their minds around; at times it was frightening and at other times it was just bewildering. The human guidance, advice, and training they received to prepare them for what lay ahead of them are remarkably similar to our own — little or none. This situation, of course, made them rely more on God each day for his direction and protection. Interestingly, after the initial bursts of divine revelation, Joseph and Mary appear to have been faced with the same kind of child raising issues that most of us face, with one exception: They were raising God’s Messiah. They had to rely on God to lead them through this mystery. So must we!
Today’s Prayer
Ever-present Father, I am comforted to see your protection of your Son when he was so vulnerable. I am thankful that there was never a place or time that your presence was not with him. Please inspire my confidence in your presence in my life, too. I long for you to make yourself known in my life each day as I seek to live for you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2025 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.